My 13 and 16 year old boys accidentally shot their bb guns into the siding of the neighbor behind our house.

Question

My 13 and 16 year old boys accidentally shot their bb guns into the siding of the neighbor behind our house. We are willing to replace the dented siding but the owner is saying that we need to replace his entire siding because the new siding won't match the old siding. I have called for an estimate but wanted to see if we could just pay to replace what our kids messed up.

Mark Oakley · Answer

These types of unreasonable demands based on aesthetics often become impossible when the one party wants a whole replacement with brand new siding for their entire house based on one unmatched panel. They’re not entitled to that. Call your homeowners insurance company. It is very possible your insurance company will cover this so long as the damage was caused through negligence (not deliberate intentional acts). Then give the neighbor your insurance adjuster’s name, claim number and phone number and wash your hands of it. Once it’s an insurance claim you cannot be involved in the negotiations, so this gives you cover. The neighbor can also submit a claim through their own homeowners insurance if they want, and then their insurance company will subrogate the claim against your company. But arguing the point with the unreasonable neighbor is not worth the aggravation.

Tim Akpinar · Answer

The insurance companies can sort it out. Additionally, their adjuster serves as an impartial evaluator of matching old and new siding. Good luck

Q: My 13 and 16 year old boys accidentally shot their bb guns into the siding of the neighbor behind our house.